No January Japan return for Bhoys midfielder Nakamura

Yokohama F. Marinos have admitted they will not be signing Shunsuke Nakamura in January but hope the Celtic midfielder will return to the club in future.

Club president Masaharu Saito announced following the final J. League match of the season - the 6-1 away win over Urawa Reds - that Yokohama will have to wait to sign the Japan international when his Celtic contract expires in June as they cannot afford to pay the transfer fee.

"We have formally decided to postpone the signing (of Nakamura) in January," Saito was quoted as saying in Japanese sports daily Sports Nippon.

Celtic's Japanese midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura will not be joining J. League side Yokohama F. Marinos in January

"The biggest problem was the transfer fee."

Marinos were hoping to sign Nakamura, who has expressed his wish to return to his first club, in January so he would be available for the start of the 2009 J.League season in March.